A review of ground-based robotic systems for search and rescue
Yanko Boyanov, Orlin Lyubomirov Petrov, Tsvetelina D. Georgieva · 2025
The critical task of search and rescue operations is the rapid detection of victims and to recover them. This task is usually performed by humans and trained dogs. In order to reduce the risk to responders and victims, as well as the time required to perform the activities, mobile robots can be included in the rescue teams, with the help of which the most dangerous tasks can be performed. Due to the different set of capabilities of robots compared to humans, they can play an active role in urban search and rescue operations, radiation and nuclear incidents, mining rescue operations, and explosive ordnance disposal. This paper sets out to review the different types of mobile robots, in particular those used in urban rescue operations, and to analyze their advantages and disadvantages, with an emphasis on unmanned ground vehicles.